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Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first visit to North Korea in 24 years.
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Putin presented North Korean leader Kim Jong-un with a second Aurus Senat limousine during his visit.
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Putin uses an Aurus as his official state car.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un took a ride in a Russian-made Aurus Senat limousine during the Russian president’s first visit to Pyongyang in 24 years.
The move gave the leaders a chance to highlight their strengthening relationship, which Kim said on Wednesday had reached “a new high of alliance.”
Video footage shared on Telegram showed Putin behind the wheel of the Aurus, which he also gifted to his North Korean counterpart, Russian state media reported, citing Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov.
Putin presented Kim with another Aurus in February this year, adding to the leader’s large collection of luxury vehicles, which also includes a Maybach, a Mercedes-Benz and a Rolls Royce – all of which are believed to have been smuggled into the country in violation of the law. UN sanctions, Reuters reported.
Putin is also said to have gifted Kim a tea set and a dagger during his recent visit.
In return, Kim presented Putin with works of art, which Ushakov hinted were “related to the image” of the president.
Russia’s Answer to “The Beast”
The Aurus Senat was unveiled in 2018 by the State Research Center of the Russian Federation. It is used as Putin’s official state car.
According to the Aurus Motors website, the Senat limousine is “the embodiment of the dignity and strength inherent in the Russian character. A car that combines excellent driving performance, impeccable comfort and unparalleled passenger safety.”
The vehicle is powered by a 598-horsepower, 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 engine and can go from 0 to 60 mph in six seconds. It has a top speed of approximately 155 km/h.
Like the US president’s Cadillac state car – nicknamed ‘The Beast’ – the Russian Senate is bulletproof and bombproof. The Aurus can also be completely submerged in water and features steel-reinforced tires.
The Aurus Motors website describes the Aurus Senat as “the most protected luxury car in the world”.
In 2021, Reuters reported that an Aurus with basic features would cost 18 million rubles, which is just over $200,000 today.
A senior Russian official said last month that Russia would start producing Aurus cars at a former Toyota plant in St. Petersburg later this year, Russia’s state news agency TASS reported.
In September 2022, Toyota announced that it had decided to halt car production at the St. Petersburg plant “due to the interruption in the supply of key materials and parts.”
Read the original article on Business Insider
